Peter W. Kalivas

Dr. Kalivas is Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurosciences at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. He is best known for his work to elucidate the brain molecules and neurocircuitry that underlie addiction, with a focus on characterizing the neuroplasticity produced by chronic use of addictive drugs in the prefrontal cortex and its glutamatergic projections to the basal ganglia. Dr. Kalivas’ work is highlighted in more than 400 publications and Dr. Kalivas has served as editor of six books that focus on the cellular mechanisms and brain circuitry mediating psychiatric disorders. He has received a great number of national and international awards, including a Merit Award from the National Institute of Drug Abuse, the Governor’s Award for Research Excellence (South Carolina), and the ISPEN Foundation Prize in Neuroplasticity. He is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for the National Alliance for Research in Schizophrenia and Depression, chairs the Scientific Advisory Board for the Medications Development Program in the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and is past-president of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology. He also serves as editor or is on the editorial board of six major journals in the field of neuroscience. He received his Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Washington in Seattle and completed his postdoctoral training at the University of North Carolina..